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Saturday, September 19, 2015

{pretty, happy, funny, real} - back to school photo diary

| a weekly capturing the contentment in everyday life |

Overall, this has been a lovely week of settling back into September rhythms. You'd think after all these years, I'd remember that it always takes 2-3 weeks for the new schedule of Autumn to kick in before we feel fully transitioned. If I'm remembering correctly, this should keep us until November-ish. I'll probably forget, though.

Before the photos, I feel obligated to include the book excerpt that I've shared just about year since beginning this blog (here's the first time back in 2007!).

"'I guess I'm just feeling Septemberish', sighed Chester. 'It's getting towards Autumn now. And it's so pretty up in Connecticut. All the trees change color. The days get very clear - with a little smoke on the horizon from burning leaves. Pumpkins begin to come out.' "

A good photographer and good camp friend of Natalie's offered to take a senior photo shoot before Nat left her favorite place on earth to come back home to Austin. Here's just a sneak preview (aren't they lovely?!?)

Natalie came home from camp with this hip haircut and her sister decided to go twinsies before she went back to school.

Caught this shot of Kendra one of her last mornings home. Beautiful to see and to hear!

Natalie's first day of senior year! As I said on IG, "Every year, for 18 years, we've been staging this scene. Here's to our last time forcing the kids to take these photos. Here's to Natalie's senior year."

| happy |

I had to keep an eye on Facebook for photos of Alex during his first week back, senior year at Rice. He doesn't have a FB account, but, thankfully his residential college (Baker!) keeps all the parents updated with hundreds of photos for O(rientation)-Week. Alex was in about fifty of them, totally living large -- which is his way. While I'm on the subject of Rice, I guarantee you no school does Freshmen welcomes better (see above, and that's PARENTS of a Freshmen).

Saying good-bye to Kendra for her sophomore year, and helping move her into her apartment

Happy 24th birthday to this great guy, our son Andrew. We celebrated with a mini, food-crawl of tacos and ice cream. Good company, too!

| funny |

My daughters and I celebrated the back-to-school season with a spa week. First stop: pedicures. Can you guess which pair of feet worked as a lifeguard all summer??

Our last year to serve up the infamous pumpkin-chip cookies on the first day of school (recipe). You can see that Natalie does just fine being the only one of our kids left home. I lost count of the number of kids who showed up for cookies and milk, but I think it was about 2 dozen kids. At least Natalie gave me the text warning ahead.

We also attended our last last "Back to School" night for parents (thanks be to God). You can see that Brian is a bit skeptical of the Macro Economics presentation.

| real|

What a privilege to help Kendra move into her new apartment and to meet her roommates. What a beautiful group of women! Kendra asked Brian to pray through the Anglican house blessing over the apartment. We didn't know how her new roomies would feel about standing in each room, reading Scripture and prayers aloud. We didn't need to worry. They engaged wholeheartedly, and we left knowing that their home for this school year will be a place of peace and rest and fun for all who enter there.

Have you captured any contentment this week?

I'd love to hear about it!

| Join in at P,H,F,R to see other wonderful people practicing contentment. |

Tamara Hill Murphy

I am Tamara Murphy: born and raised in a cynical, smalltown Northeast still harboring a penchant for hope and big ideas. Now I live in the bright city of Austin, Texas with my audacious and often-homesick family: two daughters, two sons, one husband.

I believe in the power of the written word. I read and write words to make friends with the ancient, present and future. I write to encourage both you and me to see God's presence through daily practices of art, liturgy and relationship.